Wednesday, January 07, 2015

LET THEM EAT SOUP!

Okay, so it's not the best takeoff on Marie Antoinette's infamous saying, but that was my little way of announcing that January is National Soup Month. It's true. You can check it out on Wikipedia. In honor of this auspicious event, my January posts will be dedicated to soup, well, at least the Wednesday posts. So tie on your aprons and let's get cooking!

Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 lb. fresh mushrooms – use 2 or 3 different types
8 tbsp. butter
2 small shallots or scallions, finely chopped
6 tbsp. flour
1 qt. chicken stock *
¼ cup dry sherry
2 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream
White pepper**

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Pull the stems and caps apart. Put pieces in a food processor. Run until chopped. The mix will almost look like a paste. Or fine dice the mushrooms by hand.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 10-12 inch skillet. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.

In a heavy 6-quart saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Do NOT let this brown too much or it will be bitter. The roux should be no darker than a caramel/tan.

Remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool 10-15 seconds, then pour in the stock while whisking constantly. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and stir until the soup base thickens and is smooth, approximately 12-15 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms and sherry. Simmer for 15 minutes, but be sure to stir occasionally.

Blend the egg yolks into the cream with a whisk. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of hot soup at a time until you’ve added ¾ cup. Reverse the process and slowly whisk the now-warm mixture into the soup. ***

Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with pepper.

Serve from a tureen or in individual bowls.

This recipe makes 6 bowls

*You can substitute up to half the amount with dry white wine
**In this recipe white pepper is used for its slightly sharper taste. There is no need to make a special trip to buy white pepper. Black pepper will work fine, just use a little more.
***This may seem like extra work, but if you don’t do it the yolks and cream will curdle.

Happy slurping!

Sloane
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11 comments:

  1. OMG this soup sounds like heaven! I wondered about white pepper, as it seemed hotter than black. Hugs for your soup for my soul, my friend!

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  2. You're welcome, mi Reina. And thank you for dropping in.:)

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  3. You know I love any kind of soup. This sounds especially delicious. I thought about growing shallots this summer. Is the difference worth it?

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  4. Hi Emma! Glad you like the soup. Absolutely it's worth growing your own shallots. The little devils are expensive! If you find the bulbs for sale please let me know. We don't have them around here.

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  5. Sounds so good! I don't think we'll make it above zero today. Sure wish I had a puns of mushrooms in the house.

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    1. Glad this appeals to you, Rhea. We're at a steamy 4. lol

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  6. Soup in winter...the best! And I love mushroom soup!

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  7. This sounds downright delicious. Especially the bit about the white wine. Would using a lighter cream upset the balance, do you think? We are not that fond of heavy cream.

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    1. White wine is always a winner for me.:) You should be good if you added another 2 - 3 tablespoons of flour to thicken it a bit.

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  8. Is there a non alcoholic version?

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